Post navigation

Why do people dislike older rescue cats?

The above three were left on the shelf at Cats Protection Norwich, England.

The Internet doesn’t really tell us why people don’t like older cats who are being fostered or who are in rescue facilities. So what is happening?

I don’t think people in general dislike older people but they probably see older people as somewhat redundant and past their sell-by-date. Their time is up; they are grumpy and in that regard older cats can be a little bit like people. They’re not fresh and full of life. If a person is adopting a new cat they want just that; a new cat, meaning a young cat and not “second-hand”. There is a significant section of society obsessed with the concept of “new” and fresh. Perhaps they think that a new cat is less likely to carry disease (wrong) or less likely to be psychologically damaged (wrong)? They want a fresh slate, a new mind to fit in with their lifestyle.

However, I believe that a lot of people have misconceptions about older cats. I also believe that people have a lot of misconceptions about young cats and kittens. Kittens are cute and people like the baby-like appearance of kittens but they tend to forget about the extra caretaking required to do a good job in raising a kitten. They get into more difficult situations. They can cause more damage in the home, for example.

By contrast, older cats are generally easier to look after. They will be resting and sleeping more than a young cat. While a cat is resting and sleeping they don’t require any maintenance whatsoever but their presence is still there and their presence is felt so they are still a benefit to the home.

Older cats know the ropes. They are less excitable and will probably settle into a new home more easily but, of course, it does depend upon the individual and his character.

A practical but rather difficult to describe benefit of the older cat is that they will die within the next 5 years or so. That sounds horrible but if an adopter is also elderly then it is a practical and useful point to make.

It is difficult going through the traumatic process of caring for a dying cat and then quite possibly having to euthanise your cat at the end of the emotional turmoil of seeing him becoming more and more ill. And then the grieving follows his passing.

That leaves one with the question over whether you are going to adopt another cat but if you are elderly there is a possibility that after your elderly cat has died you will then call it a day on caring for a domestic cat. The timing is better. Or the caretaker will die before the cat. From the person’s perspective that avoids all the pain of a cat’s passing. Of course, it leaves an even more elderly cat without a caretaker but that isn’t relevant to this article.

A major downside which is foreseen by adopters is that older cats will fairly soon be elderly whereupon they are liable to require more veterinary care with associated expense. I wonder if some people adopt young cats and then relinquish them when they are old to avoid those vet bills.

Some older cats are left on the shelf for the very long time with foster carers or at rescue centres. An example was at the Norwich branch of Cats Protection in 2012 when there were three cats who were described as older cats and who had variously been with foster carers for about 6 months.

Their ages varied between six and ten. A 6-year-old cat is not an older cat in my opinion and a 10-year-old cat has, potentially, a good eight more years left of his life and more.

So, it seems that it isn’t just older cats that are less attractive to adopters but middle-aged cats as well. This indicates that people prefer to focus on kittens. Any cat younger than six, or perhaps the younger the better, is a first choice.

All three of the cats at the Norwich branch of Cats Protection were black-and-white cats. And there I think lies a major problem.

It is not just about the age of the cat but their coat (i.e. their appearance). Black-and-white cats with a pattern that is not interesting are less desirable than tabby cats with an interesting pattern or calico cats (which have a very interesting tricolour pattern). The black-and-white cat is one up from the all black cat.

The conclusion that I can make is that people select cats from cat rescue centres much as they do cars at a car showroom. They prefer the squeaky new and the sleek new colours and the new models and low maintenance 😉 !

People’s preferences regarding adopting a rescue cat are very much like their preferences at buying any other object. However, I am generalising because a lot of people don’t think that way but it would seem, based upon the Norwich branch of Cats Protection that, in general, people do think that way which is unfortunate and rather sad.

I would hope people would open their minds to the possibility of owning an older cat while focusing on the key attraction of caring for any cat: the relationship and the cat’s character.

Please comment here using either Facebook or WordPress comments. Comments are welcome.

Hi, I am 70-years-of-age at 2019. For 14 years before I retired at 57, I worked as a solicitor in general law specialising in family law. Before that I worked in a number of different jobs including professional photography. I have a longstanding girlfriend, Michelle. We like to walk in Richmond Park which is near my home.

Post navigation

Comments

Why do people dislike older rescue cats? — 16 Comments

The cat cabins are brilliant I had a really cosy shelter outside for Mr Jinks until he broke his leg and came indoors. Some people just don’t seem to get it do they? They say ‘oh they’re fine outside they have a fur coat and can fend for themselves, they can thrive’ Its utter rubbish when you see a cat go from skinny, dirty and cold to one that just thrives being indoors it just makes sense to me! I think people know that life will be hard when they throw their cat out onto the streets they just say what they say to ease their guilt and justify their cruel actions to others 🙁

Perhaps its because the older a cat is when its adopted the more ‘bad habits’ its picked up and the more chance it has of being damaged by the bad parts of its life?

Mrs Jinks for example is an accomplished thief just in one day he has taken a pie, Bacon and some curry if we don’t shut the kitchen door we’re asking for trouble. This probably comes from when he had to scavenge for food and now old habits die hard but would someone want want to take that on? He also gets in the fridge, we’re used to him but they would really annoy some people.

Leah: Your Mrs Jinks sounds like a starving kitten I found on the streets. He couldn’t resist stealing food and never outgrew the habit. We had to buy a bin with a snap down lid, otherwise we’d get up in the morning to find him on the sofa chomping down on discarded food he retrieved from the bin. Once he even came home with a still warm, cooked chicken breast he’d stolen from who knows where.

I’ve taken in a number of older strays over the years and I have to say none of them have ever been badly behaved. They’ve always seemed so grateful just to have a home and regular food. When I took them in for neutering, my vet estimated two of them were in their mid-teens and yet they never once sprayed indoors or displayed any of the less desirable behaviours associated with tom cats.

We adopted a stray some years ago who we kept seeing year after year but he just wouldn’t come to us then one day he must have thought ‘what the hell’ he was very timid but he started to come every day for food then he came in and always slept on the same chair ( his bit of comfort and security). You know he was huge! I swear he had Norweigan Forest in there somewhere. He was long haired Ginger and White. You know he turned into the most fantastic cat, he was already neutered but he knew what the cat toys were for and loved to play, he used the litter tray, got on with the other cats, loved the dog. We loved him so much, can you imagine a stray out in all weathers for years living on scraps? We lost him when he got run over and it broke my heart.

Leah: You’re right, it’s a miserable life for them living rough and having to survive on scraps. The saddest part is that most of them were once someone’s pet. I always imagine it must be harder for pets to live as strays, than cats who were born on the street and don’t know any different. Maybe I’m attributing them with human emotions, but cats have good memories and I wonder if strays ever think back to the life they once had as a pet.

My two older strays were originally attracted by the discarded wet cat food I’d been throwing out for the birds. I started feeding them regularly after that and bought a couple of KatKabins for the garden so that they would have somewhere warm and dry to shelter. Gradually they learned to trust me and when they felt ready, they moved indoors with me. The KatKabins have been a great investment as they’re getting lots of use. A young adult stray moved into one of them a little while ago.

All over the world, feral cats are considered as the worst cats. the ignored and disliked cats. But I have seen many feral cats who are adults come to me very happily, never hissed at me and trusted me. Not all of them let me touch or pat. But when got full trust, they them self rub their heads with my legs. Their tail always high and meow gently.

Its always a matter of patience. and I believe that every cat can become a lap cat if it is tamed with full care and love. Does not matter whether it is a kitten or adult at any age.

From posts I’ve seen on the internet I think there’s a common misconception that if people adopt kittens, they can shape their personality (lol). Many a disappointed owner can’t understand why their previously affectionate (needy, baby) kitten has grown into an independent adult who perhaps isn’t so keen on being the lap-cat they’d hoped for.

My previous cat Holly lived to be 19 and I really treasured those “golden” years when the bond between us grew even stronger and deeper.

Apart from Sophie who arrived on my doorstep as a kitten 10 years ago, I have only taken on adult or elderly stray cats since.

I have a very different approach to this topic, Michael.
Five fingers are not equal so therefore let me say that every cat has not a same responsive behavior. This is the first point that we cat owners have to accept with our big hearts.

Let me straight away say it that don’t expect from every cat to become a lap cat. The reason: when we are kids, we are closer to our parents, when we grow up, our parents accept us as grown up youths. When we are kids, we sit on the lap of mum and dad but do we do the same when we are grown up as adults?

I have seen many human beings that are adults act like children with their parents. Yes I believe that they are lap adults. That is what I call them.

But cat is a cat and try to understand the main theme of the word cat. It changes every level of its psychology with the passage of time. And that’s why some observers like me call them adult cats. “We have a companion in our home” is the best sentence to use for an adult cat but I never expect that “we have a lap (circus) cat at our home.”

Let it be within its territory i.e. home, and let it never go out in wild or otherwise I have to repeat the same sentence “Cat is a cat”.

It is enough for the training of a cat that it is at least socialized. If you wanna tame a cat, means that you have to devote your 90 % time for it. Then if the result is the same i.e. failure in taming it in accordance to what you wished it should be. Let it go and let the fellow roam free within your home. It is enough that she wants to be closer to you.

In last words I may say, It is impossible that you tame a cat as lap cat and it turns not to be as lap cat. It is impossible. Yes! there are for sure many mistakes during the taming process at your end, not at cat’s end. so, no blame on cats or kitten. Neither blame yourself because ITS A BUSY LIFE. 😉

Agreed. You talk sense. One of the good points about older cats is that you have a fully formed individual. You are not quite sure how a kitten will turn out. I agree that if a person can’t domesticate feral cat then it is better for cat and person to part company.

I’m not sure that some people dislike older cats. I think they just don’t want them for all of the excuses written in this article.
I’m sure they liken adopting an older cat to that of a used car. It’s risky. They inherit existing problems, they never know when something will break down, and there’s usually no warranty. People are deluded into believing that “system breakdown” doesn’t happen with young cats.

Three such beautiful cats, it’s such a shame no one wants them. It makes me wonder too what excuses their ‘owners’ gave to relinquish them.
Anyway this is something from Kevin Kays Hill to cheer you up Michael:
‘Can you believe it after such a long time in our cattery one of our older cats has gone to live with Lynn he was fortunate enough to survive major surgery when younger losing his full hind leg, buttock and his tail so he is only half the cat he was but makes up for his loss in his huge personality he is such a character and gets around with no problem , he has gone to live with Lynn’s other extended family which includes an other amputee, just hope they all get on and support each other’
It did my heart good to read that there are some people who care enough to adopt older cats and disabled cats.
I wish more people would do that.

“PoC has a large membership of like minded people who care about the welfare of cats and animals in general. It is a great source of information about taking care of cats and interesting history and news about cats. I enjoy being part of the group.” – Michele.